Just a Straight Road (Part 5)
He is flying. High in the air, pa.s.sing through white clouds in the blue sky.
Below him, a shadow of a bird cuts a path through forests and streams.
A man stands on a clearing. He lifts his face to the sky and reaches out a hand towards him…
Jostling himself awake, Zhou Wen Wu can feel the beads of perspiration on his back. Looking around him, he sees that he is in a theatre. There are dancers on stage, swaying gracefully on stage to the rhythm of music, and there is Xu Zhi, a few tables away from him.
What just happened?
His heart is racing and he suppresses the sense of unease over the strange experience. He seems to have fallen into a dream and in the dream, he has been transformed into a big bird. A man is calling to him and he remembers the feeling of happiness as he looks at the man.
He has never experienced this kind of contented, happy… love, in his 30 years, and one thing he knows for sure – he is not gay – so to love a man in a dream is just plain freaky.
Pulling himself to the present, he sees Bai Hua pa.s.sing by with a flask of wine and orders her to pour him some. She obeys by instinct and by the time she realizes what she has done, she flushes with embarra.s.sment and anger.
This is the first time Zhou Wen Wu is observing Bai Hua up close and he is surprised to find that she is much shorter than the average Xi Xuan female. Her frame is delicate and her skin very fair, which is something more commonly a.s.sociated with people living in the far south. So she comes from…. Nan Ling? This is surprising, for one of Xu Zhi close aides to be someone who is not from Xi Xuan.
He asks her for another cup and she nearly pours for him again until she remembers the present. “How dare you order me around! Have you forgotten your place? May I remind you that you are even more lowly than those dancers on stage?” Huffing, she leaves him to tend to Xu Zhi.
Zhou Wen Wu feels as if his heart has just been dipped in ice although it is impossible to see any emotion with his mask on. Rather than to remain at the table, he decides to check out the dancers at the back stage when he realizes that something is amiss.
There is a break in the music and some musicians are pulling weapons out from their instruments. The dancers are jumping off the stage, each with a dagger in hand, and for a moment, some of the audience, like Bai Hua, is wondering if this is part of the performance, until screams and the smell of blood in the air tells another story. Fearing for Xu Zhi’s safety, Bai Hua rushes towards her and pushes her to the ground. Before Xu Zhi hits the floor, she wraps her hand around her head and the she rolled a couple of turns with Bai Hua before coming to a stop.
Pushing Bai Hua aside, Xu Zhi takes in the chaos around her. Some of the scholars have rushed to her side and are fighting off the dancers with practiced moves. Such skills, she thought, are they really scholars?
Yun Qing is the nearest to her and he has overtaken his attacker by s.n.a.t.c.hing his dagger and gracefully cutting his throat. After the man has fallen, Yun Qing quickly kneels down in front of her so that he can speak to her at eye-level. “Da Gu Niang, it is the music! The musicians are fanning the desire of these dancers to kill with this piece!” His voice has a melodious quality to it and it is hard to a.s.sociate its owner to a man who has just slit someone’s throat.
Eyes bright, Xu Zhi leans towards him. “I thought so too. What did you see to make you say so?”. At her closeness, he instinctively backs away a step. “I did not see anything, I heard it.”
“Heard? You used your ears? How…” Seeing that she is about to ask more, he quickly interrupts. “Da Gu Niang, do you know self-defense? I need to stop the musicians and destroy their instruments.”
“Don’t bother about me and just go. But remember,” her face turns very serious. “Do not destroy their instruments. I want them.”
Before she can decipher his strange expression, Bai Hua interjects. “No, no! You have to stay here and protect Da Gu Niang! Let me go instead! I… I… it should be easy taking down a few people….”
Both of them dismisses her and Xu Zhi gestures for Yun Qing to go while she orders Bai Hua to collect herself and look for a suitable weapon instead of just plastering herself on her. Walking to a table nearby, Xu Zhi lifts a table lamp and tested the weight of it in her hands. Deciding that it would do, Xu Zhi walks over to one of the scholars who is not holding up well against his attacker, and crashes the lamp on the a.s.sailant’s head. As the attacker crumbles, she tells the scholar matter-of-factly. “This lamp is quite handy. You may like to find yourself one. If you use it to hit someone’s head, it should be enough to kill him.”
As the scholar rushes off to find himself another lamp, a wave of pain floods her head and she wavers. By the time she steadies herself, she finds herself looking into the eyes of an approaching dancer. Deciding that it is an opportunity, she asks quickly “Can you tell me where are you from? Does your people know how to make mask from bones? Are there any giant birds where you come from?”
The dancer frowns at her questions but did not answer. He swings his dagger towards her but Xu Zhi deflects his blow by swinging her lamp against his weapon. Lifting his leg, the dancer kicks her in the stomach and sends her stumbling backwards to hit a pillar.
Another wave of pain washes over her head, and Xu Zhi has to close her eyes to fight off the pain. When she next opens her eyes, she sees that her attacker is in front of her and is rising his hand to strike. She knows she has no time to swing her lamp this time and that her end is here.
She did not beg.
The dagger cuts and arc through the air but did not land in her chest. Zhou Wen Wu’s has caught hold of her attacker’s hand, and giving it a twist, he has transferred the dagger to his hand. He slits the throat of the man and not feeling quite satisfied, he stabs the man several more time before tossing the body to one side.
Another attacker rushes forward but Zhou Wen Wu stays his ground. He relishes the fight and let himself loose in the killing spree, stabbing his attackers over and over as he lets off steam. When he is somewhat satisfied, he strides over to Xu Zhi and lords over her. “Xu Zhi, have you imagined this day? None of your a.s.sistants are able to protect you and someone like you, you think you have the ability to make the second half of my life h.e.l.l? Who do you think you are?” A drop of blood trickles from his mask and drops on her upturn face, forming a beautiful but eerie contrast against her unusually fair skin.
“Are you telling me that you are saving me because you have no choice?” Her words are cool as always. “Actually, you are only saving yourself when you saved me because deep down, you know that you have nowhere to go if I am gone. You would never leave Xi Xuan so that only leaves you with a lifetime of hiding. If you die before Zhou Wen Cheng, who knows if he will bury you in my tomb me to accompany me? I thought you want to live on to see his end? If so, you can continue dreaming.”
Zhou Wen Wu fumes at the truth of her statement. This country belongs to his ancestor; he has a share in it d.a.m.n it! He should be someone standing at the top! Even if he should die, it should be people being buried with him instead of the other way around! Frustrated, he bends his head to grind his lips against hers in a punishing kiss.
When he registers her faint fragrance, he pushes her away and tries to rub away the feel of her on his mouth “You are only worth so much …” His suddenly registers the chilliness of her skin and taking a closer look, he can see she has more beads of perspiration on her forehead than him. “Xu Zhi, are you injured?”
Her eyes are losing focus and he quickly scans her body for injury. Before he finds any, he hears Xu Zhi gives a ‘oghh…’ and empties all the contents in her stomach.
When word of her attack reaches the palace, the Emperor makes a special trip to her residence and visits her at her bedroom. He is a few years over 30 and is considered a good-looking man. If one compares him against Zhou Wen Wu, the latter definitely wins in terms of looks. But Zhou Wen Cheng also lacks the wildness and menace of the latter, and any normal, sane person would prefer to hang around with Zhou Wen Cheng than the latter.
“Da Gu Niang, you have suffered.”
“Um.” Xu Zhi takes a moment to think of something else to say. “I am sorry to have make you worried but I am fine.”
“What do you mean by fine! Someone dares attack you in my land! Do they think that I will let them off! Don’t you worry, I will definitely give you an suitable answer for this attack.”
“Your Majesty is very kind.” Monotonous reply.
Bai Hua brings in her medicine and Zhou Wen Cheng offers to feed her personally. He is not very used to it apparently and some of the medicine dribbles down her chin. Despite his clumsiness, Xu Zhi did not protest and let him finish his task.
After she has drank most of the medicine, he puts aside the bowl and tells her how she was rescued. His royal guard, Jin Zhi Wu, whom she has met outside Yuan Bao Lou, has turned back when he feels that something is wrong about that place. When he sees the fight inside Yuan Bao Lou, he has helped to beat off her attackers and brought her to safety.
Accordingly to Zhou Wen Cheng, the target of the attack is Zhao Zi Huan. That rascal has s.n.a.t.c.hed a woman from the troupe and they are trying to avenge her. After reiterating that the attack is not directed to her, he promises to catch and punish the attackers severely. After chatting with her a bit more, he leaves her so that she can get more rest.
Jiang Jiu follows to show him out and Zhou Wen Cheng uses the opportunity to ask him about her headaches, her other servants, and her new harem member. Jiang Jiu reports truthfully that Xu Zhi’s headaches are getting worse. She can hardly sleep nowadays and would usually wake up way before the sun rises. Sometimes, her headache is so intense that she would vomit from the pain. As for the new member in the harem, Da Gu Niang is worried that he may cause trouble and has kept him on drugs that sap his strength. When he hesitates, Zhou Wen Cheng prompts him to speak his mind. “When we were at Yuan Bao Lou, I heard about a famous doctor from Wei who is visiting Xi Xuan.”
After a moment pause, Zhou Wen Cheng speaks: “It is true that our medical skills lags behind Wei…. Did you summon this doctor to see Xu Zhi?” When Jiang Jiu remains silent, Zhou Wen Cheng sighs softly. “You are doing well but you need not consult me on such matters. Da Gu Niang has contributed greatly to Xi Xuan and has attracted many talents to this country. Why would you think that I would object to her seeing this doctor? Go and get him to see her tomorrow. If she can be cured, it will be good but if not, I will not blame it on you. I know you have done a good job in taking care of Xu Zhi all these years, and once your term of service ends in another 3 years, you would be free to return to court and work towards restoring his family’s past honor.”
With a last instruction for Jiang Jiu to train his replacement well, Zhou Wen Wu leaves with his entourage. Looking at his retreating back, Jiang Jiu dusts his sleeves and turns back. He has only gone a few steps when he noticed that Jiu Xing is standing nearby beneath a tree, and smiles in greeting. “Now that you have seen it all, how do you feel?”
The latter is pale and does not dare to meet his eyes. iang Jiu walks over and swipes a fallen leaf from the young man’s shoulder. “You are so young, just after your coming of age ceremony perhaps, and here you are, being a.s.signed to be someone’s servant instead of living the carefree life you that are used to. Frankly, I have forgotten what it is like at your age, but since we both share the same fate, we should have some common understanding between us.”
Jiu Xing bends his head even lower and says softly. “Jiang Jiu, I have been ordered to be Xu Zhi’s a.s.sistant. Although I have yet to understand the full extent of the job, in future…. do I have betray the hand that feed me and report everything about Da Gu Niang to his Majesty?”
“You will hurt my feelings if you put it that way. What makes you think you are biting the hand that feeds you? The Xu family may be an integral pillar of Xi Xuan but you must remember that all in Xi Xuan owe our loyalty to his Majesty. If you happen to choose the wrong side in future, do remember that I have tried to warn you today.”
“Does Da Gu Niang knows…. that his Majesty has planted spies around her?”
Jiang Jiu nearly laughs at the young man’s naivety. Is he like that too when he is in his early twenties? He thinks so but he cannot be sure. The blade that has killed off many in his family has dulled his memories and blurred the line between dream and reality.
“Da Gu Niang has never cared to know about such things and I suggest that you save your breathe. His Majesty is a benevolent ruler and he only wants to protect Xi Xuan Xu Zhi. This is also his last benevolence to disgraced people like us. So long as you toe the line and do as you are told, you may be able to return to the fold of the n.o.bility when your time is up. Do you understand?”
When Jiu Xing mutters an acknowledgment, Jiang Jiu pats his shoulder. “I am not trying to demoralize you. 7 years ago, my predecessor Zai Lin told me the exact same thing. So long as I am loyal, there will be a bright future ahead for me…” As if remembering something, Jiu Xing mutters to himself. “I remember that Zai Lin has this weird smile on his face at that time. I wonder why….” After hanging around Xi Zhi for too long, Jiang Jiu has picked up a bad habit of questioning even the most mundane things.
“Can I ask how did Zai Lin die?”
At Jiang Jiu’s look, Jiu Xing realizes that there is probably some story behind his death and decides not to press. Seeing his restraint, Jiang Jiu praises the young man for being a quick learner and encourages him to take good care of Da Gu Niang, before leaving to tend to their mistress.
Looking at his retreating back, Jiu Xing is rather puzzled. “Jiang Jiu, don’t you realize that you also have a weird smile on your face?” He fingers his mouth and wonders if there will be a day 10 years from now, when he will say the same words with the same smile, to his replacement.